1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to liquid fuel heaters and in particular to a new and useful device for the pre-heating of liquid fuel for heating installations in mobile units.
The present invention comprises a fuel tank and a fuel line or main between the tank and the fuel pump, which is part of the heating installation as well as comprising a fuel return pipe and an exhaust main, which leads the exhaust gases out of the combustion chamber of the heating installation.
Such heat installations are used, for example, for automobiles, in order to heat the inside space independently from the motor and for water cooled motors for pre-warming the motor. Other fields of use are boats and construction machines. Corresponding to the conditions for mounting, and to the volume to be heated, these heating devices are relatively small and have only a small consumption of fuel.
For this reason the fuel lines or mains have a small diameter. Naturally these heating devices have to work reliably, especially when there is a very low outside temperature. Especially for heating devices working with diesel fuel, it is known that there is a risk at low temperatures that the fuel becomes like a jelly, and this causes inevitably the heating installation to get out of commission. For this reason improvers of fluidity are added to the fuel, in order to keep it from becoming like a jelly.
For the operation of a mechanical atomizer (burner) heating or pre-heating of the nozzles is sufficient even when the outside temperatures are low. However, this pre-heating of the nozzles is effective only if the fuel is supplied in a sufficient quantity and consistency. This pre-heating of the nozzles requires additional electric energy out of the power supply for plane communication apparatus, and therefore should be driven only during the starting operation. In general, when the device is started, the heat, which is in the heating device is sufficient for the further operation.
The disadvantages of the known installations relate especially to the fact that not only during the starting process, but also during the whole operating period electric energy is necessary from the supply on board, which, in the cold period of the year, is already highly strained with the connection of additional, energy consuming devices such as a heater of the vehicle and of the panes as well as the lighting system.